The NNPCF welcome the direction of the NHS Long Term Plan, particularly its focus on early intervention, prevention, and cross-sector collaboration. The recognition of the role of Family Hubs, schools, and Neighbourhood Health Services in supporting children and families, including those with SEND, is a positive step. Commitments to expand Start for Life services from age 2 to 5, improve access to speech and language therapy, and align health provision with education services are encouraging.
Children’s services have been under-resourced within the NHS for many years, and so whilst we are pleased to see the visibility of babies, children and young people, we feel it must be strengthened, alongside a clear commitment to rebuild the workforce, especially health visitors, paediatricians and allied health professionals, to meet rising need. There is also a need to ensure specialist workforce, such as Learning disability nurses, for the Learning Disabled is not eroded.
While the emphasis on digital transformation is welcome, it must not come at the expense of accessibility for families who experience digital or social exclusion. The NNPCF is concerned that increased reliance on digital services may reduce valuable face-to-face interactions with vulnerable communities. These in-person engagements offer crucial opportunities to better understand a child or young person’s physical health, particularly when they are unable to fully articulate their needs. Conditions such as constipation, highlighted by the Learning from Lives and Deaths Reviews (LeDeR) as a significant concern, can often go unnoticed without direct, face-to-face observation. Additionally, face-to-face contact provides a vital opportunity for robust safeguarding that may be more difficult to ensure in purely digital settings.
The NNPCF welcome the commitment that Health services will do more to play their part in child safeguarding, working with Department of Education to implement a single unique identifier for every child, to enable proactive, preventative and joined-up care across different public services. The responsibilities however of this, is not clear if this will sit with Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) or commissioned providers.
We hope that a strong delivery plan will sit alongside the main strategy, providing much-needed focus, particularly for children and young people with SEND. While the emphasis on prevention is important, there must also be recognition of the needs of those living with long-term conditions and the support required to help them stay well. It is well documented that many within the SEND community experience significant health inequalities. To address these challenges, a dedicated implementation strategy for children’s health, co-produced across health, education, and families, would be a welcome and necessary step.
As structural changes take place across NHS England, the NNPCF seeks a clear commitment that these reforms will not negatively affect outcomes for children and young people with SEND. A robust delivery plan, supported by clear guidance and an outcomes framework for children, is essential to support commissioners in planning and delivering both new and existing services in line with the government’s vision.
With the proposed changes outlined in the 10-year plan, it is imperative that the voices of parents, carers, children, and young people are heard and central to shaping future services. The NNPCF would welcome the opportunity to represent parent carer forums across England and their members, and to work in true co-production and participation to help guide the successful implementation of this plan.